Introduction

Have you heard of the incredible ministry called Mercy Ships? This ministry began in the late 1970’s when a follower of Christ took a step of faith and purchased a large ship with the intention of turning it into a floating hospital. He had no idea how to run a shipping company or how to find a crew, but felt God was leading him to do something about the millions of cases of treatable and preventable illnesses around the world. Fifty percent of the world’s population lives close to a coastline. His vision was to provide a floating hospital with a volunteer crew of skilled medical professionals offering world-class care free of charge.

Imagine you are a young boy with a cleft palate, or an elderly woman blind from cataracts, or a teenage girl with rickets, or a middle-aged man whose face is disfigured by a large tumor. You live in a part of the world that has no resources to help you. And, you have very little money or resources yourself. Would you feel stuck? Would you feel a little discouraged?

Then imagine that one day someone comes to your door and says, “Get ready! A Mercy Ship is on the way! They are going to do something for you that you didn’t think was possible. They are going to fix your palate, remove her cataracts, straighten those legs, and remove this tumor. For free. You all will be healed!”

Wouldn’t that be amazing news? The day the Mercy Ship came into port would be the beginning of a new season of life. A brand new reality with new opportunities. The Mercy Ship brings the healing everyone has dreamt about.

Today we’re going to look at a passage from the book of Matthew about John the Baptist preparing the way for the Messiah. For our purposes today, I’d like to use the analogy that the kingdom of heaven is like a Mercy Ship where healing and restoration happen, and Jesus is like a great physician who treats our condition with world-class grace and kindness.

The kingdom of heaven is like a Mercy Ship where healing and restoration happen, and Jesus is like a great physician who treats our condition with world-class grace and kindness.

Main Teaching

Let’s make a few observations about John. John had a clear mission for his life. His “mission” was to prepare the way for the Lord and be a voice of one calling in the wilderness (3:3). John did not orient his life around comfort and security, but around the calling God gave him.

He lived in simplicity with very few comforts: his clothes were made of camel’s hair and his food was locusts and wild honey (3:4). When we have a clear purpose for our life it’s easier to live in simplicity with a modest standard of living because the mission is what drives us and energizes us. To follow God’s call on our life requires we let go of comfort and security so that we grab onto something much more valuable.

John’s message was, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (3:2). This is really good news. It’s like saying, “The Mercy Ship is coming into port! Better head down to the dock!”

To repent means to turn around, or to reorient your life back to God. It means to do something about the reality of God’s kingdom being near. If a Mercy Ship was announced to be nearby and you were desperate for medical attention, what would you do? You would orient your focus and your energies on getting to the ship to see a doctor. That’s kind of what repentance looks like. It’s to turn and walk towards the One who loves you and wants to heal you.

John says the Messiah will do three things “The kingdom of heaven is near! The Mercy Ship has come into port ... View this full sermon with PRO Premium